Archie's
Article

Rhinos Jump 41 Spots as the Gauntlet Tightens Its Grip

Claude Schefter

The Run-In

Remaining schedule difficulty, hardest first — Week 6
Team Opp PPG Difficulty (0–100) Trend
1 SeaBirds 154.3 62
2 Apes 151.5 59
3 Killers 150.0 59
4 Roos 148.2 58
5 WhoopAss 148.3 57
6 MudDogs 146.7 56
7 Saints 147.5 56
8 Dawgs 147.5 56
9 Lumberjacks 147.3 56
10 Kraken 146.6 56
11 Stonecutters 146.4 55
12 Yeti's 145.0 55
13 Mammoth 146.6 55
14 Goats 145.2 54
15 SnakeEyes 145.8 54
16 Snappers 144.3 54
17 Nomads 144.5 54
18 Ducks 144.4 54
19 Barracudas 144.8 54
20 Twisters 144.0 53
21 Mafia 143.9 53
22 Dragons 143.3 53
23 Razerbacks 145.1 53
24 Badgers 144.5 53
25 Troopers 144.2 53
26 Nemesis 144.3 53
27 SaltyDogs 143.5 53
28 XMen 146.6 53
29 Veterans 146.0 53
30 Cellmates 143.4 53
31 Islanders 144.6 53
32 Spiders 145.8 53
33 Nordics 143.1 53
34 Roughnecks 144.3 53
35 Rafters 143.6 53
36 Jockeys 144.2 53
37 Rhinos 143.5 52
38 Hitmen 144.1 52
39 Wolverines 143.9 52
40 Bears 143.7 52
41 Hurricanes 142.3 52
42 Freeze 141.8 51
43 Lions 141.3 51
44 Highlanders 142.4 51
45 Banditos 144.3 51
46 Geese 140.7 51
47 Sandmen 143.5 51
48 Invaders 141.4 51
49 Chupacabras 142.3 51
50 Tikis 143.1 51
51 Battalion 142.6 51
52 Pirates 141.4 51
53 Lobstahs 142.7 51
54 Hoosiers 142.4 51
55 Waves 141.3 50
56 Tigers 141.7 50
57 Sioux 141.1 50
58 Devils 141.5 50
59 Hawks 142.1 50
60 Gladiators 141.9 50
61 Bandits 141.0 50
62 Maddogs 143.1 50
63 Bruisers 141.7 50
64 Terminators 141.4 50
65 Moose 143.8 50
66 Hippos 142.2 50
67 KitKats 141.6 50
68 Jackalopes 141.7 49
69 Fox 141.3 49
70 Chargers 141.6 49
71 Deadly 141.5 49
72 Admirals 140.3 49
73 Outlaws 140.1 49
74 Luchadors 141.0 49
75 BearCats 140.9 49
76 Apache 140.5 49
77 Magnums 139.6 48
78 Stingers 139.1 48
79 Rams 139.8 48
80 Kung Fu 140.0 48
81 Scorpions 139.4 48
82 Bombers 139.6 48
83 Crushers 140.9 48
84 Wizards 139.8 48
85 Tombstones 138.8 47
86 Phantoms 137.8 47
87 Assassins 138.0 46
88 Plague 138.3 46
89 RailRoaders 138.0 46
90 Demons 138.6 46
91 Vikings 138.3 46
92 Monsters 136.9 46
93 Vipers 137.1 46
94 Beasts 138.8 46
95 Eagles 137.1 45
96 Monkeys 136.9 45
97 Chickens 135.9 44
98 Hydras 135.6 44
99 Celtics 134.0 41

Boom! I'm told the Gauntlet rankings just dropped, and the spiciest story is the Rhinos, who rocketed up 41 spots to a difficulty of 52 with remaining opponents averaging 143.5 points per game. Money is nice, but championships are better, and the Rhinos just walked into a tougher road. Check the Gauntlet rankings to see the full picture.

At the top of the buzz saw sit the SeaBirds at difficulty 62, facing remaining opponents averaging 154.3 PPG, and they got 3 spots harder. The Apes (59) and Killers (59) are right behind them, and the Killers are the only one of those three who got a little easier. If you think your own remaining slate is manageable, the trade builder is where you can start reshaping your roster before the grind gets worse.

League sources tell me the schedule luck is where it gets interesting. The Bears are 0-10 against a brutal slate with past difficulty of 56, the Sioux are 1-9 against a slate at 53, and WhoopAss is 1-9 against a 50-difficulty slate. Those records are lying to you, and the standings don't tell the whole story.

Week 6 is the league-wide wall with an average opponent difficulty of 51, so nobody gets a free pass this week. On the other end, BearCats were the biggest faller, dropping 52 spots into a much easier path, while the MudDogs and Yeti's each jumped into tougher territory. Every move in the transaction log matters more when the schedule is turning this sharply.

That's the Gauntlet for Week 6, and the full heat map and week-by-week grid are waiting for you in the Gauntlet rankings. Start planning your roads ahead, because the buzz saws are not getting any smaller.

Schedule Luck

Schedule victim

Bears

0-10 against one of the league's tougher slates (past difficulty 56). Better than the record says.

Schedule victim

Sioux

1-9 against one of the league's tougher slates (past difficulty 53). Better than the record says.

Schedule victim

WhoopAss

1-9 against one of the league's tougher slates (past difficulty 50). Better than the record says.

Trap Weeks

Full dashboard: week-by-week heat map
← More league news